Chapter Text
I don't want to sound like an old fogey, but my first contact with a computer was with a 386 with a cathode-ray tube screen, back around 1992 or 1993, I don't remember exactly.
It was a huge clunker that had to be operated using text commands, written one by one, with a primitive phosphor green interface.
Starting MS-DOS...
HIMEM is testing extended memory... done.
C:\>BUFFERS=20
C:\>FILES=30
C:\>DOS=HIGH,UMB
C:\>LASTDRIVE=E
C:\>DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
C:\>DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
C:\>ECHO OFF
MS-DOS version 6.22
Copyright 1985-1994 Microsoft Corp.
C:\>LH /L:0;1,45440 /S C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X
C:\>C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:500
C:\>LH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE
Logitech Mouse Driver v6.02 - Installed successfully.
C:\>SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
C:\>C:\SB16\DIAGNOSTIC /S
Sound Blaster 16 Audio Driver Initialized.
C:\>DIR /W
Volume in drive C is DOS_SYS
Volume Serial Number is 173A-4F82
Directory of C:\
[DOS] [COMMAND.COM] [CONFIG.SYS] [AUTOEXEC.BAT]
[GAMES] [WINDOWS] [UTIL] [TEMP]
4 File(s) 92,314 bytes
4 Dir(s) 14,204,928 bytes free
C:\>CD GAMES\DOOM
C:\GAMES\DOOM>DIR
Volume in drive C is DOS_SYS
Volume Serial Number is 173A-4F82
Directory of C:\GAMES\DOOM
. <DIR> 12-10-93 4:00p
.. <DIR> 12-10-93 4:00p
DOOM EXE 524,312 12-10-93 4:00p
DOOM1 WAD 4,194,304 12-10-93 4:00p
DEFAULT CFG 4,102 12-24-93 8:12p
MODEM STR 1,220 12-10-93 4:00p
IPX COM 21,400 12-10-93 4:00p
5 File(s) 4,745,338 bytes
2 Dir(s) 14,204,928 bytes free
C:\GAMES\DOOM>DOOM.EXE
Error: Insufficient conventional memory.
You need at least 580KB of free conventional memory to run DOOM.
Please modify your CONFIG.SYS to optimize RAM allocation.
C:\GAMES\DOOM>_
Here is the CSS code so you can replicate it in some of your stories (or if you are very handy with workskins, even add a border imitating the old screens of those times) or fics that are set before the arrival of Windows 3.1
CSS
#workskin .msdos {
width: 640px; /* Original VGA resolution, you can change it */
height: 480px;
margin: 15px 30px 15px 30px;
background-color: #000000;
color: #33ff33;
text-shadow: /* phosphor screen glow */
0 0 1px rgba(51, 255, 51, 1),
0 0 2px rgba(51, 255, 51, 0.80),
0 0 4px rgba(51, 255, 51, 0.55),
0 0 8px rgba(51, 255, 51, 0.3),
0 0 16px rgba(51, 255, 51, 0.05);
font-family:
'Perfect DOS VGA 437', /* Font identical to the original MS-DOS */
'OCR-A',
'Courier New',
monospace;
font-size: 16px;
padding: 1ch 2ch 1ch 2ch;
position: relative;
border-radius: 2.5ch;
overflow: auto;
box-shadow:
inset 0 0 10px rgba(0, 255, 0, 0.2),
0 0 15px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);
}
/* Very subtle monitor scanline effect */
#workskin .msdos div,
#workskin .msdos p {
background-image: linear-gradient( hsl(120, 100%, 0%) 50%, hsl(120, 100%, 1%) 50%), linear-gradient( hsl(120, 100%, 0%) 50%, hsl(120, 100%, 2%) 50%), linear-gradient( hsl(120, 100%, 0%) 50%, hsl(120, 100%, 4%) 50%), linear-gradient( hsl(120, 100%, 0%) 50%, hsl(120, 100%, 6%) 50%), linear-gradient( hsl(120, 100%, 0%) 50%, hsl(120, 100%, 8%) 50%);
background-size: 100% 1px,100% 2px, 100% 3px, 100% 7px, 100% 11px;
}
/* This makes the background turn green and the text black when selecting text */
#workskin .msdos ::-moz-selection {
background: #33ff33;
color: #000000;
text-shadow: none;
font-weight: 900;
}
#workskin .msdos ::selection {
background: #33ff33;
color: #000000;
text-shadow: none;
font-weight: 900;
}Until we read each other! ✨😎👍